<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Kira Kimura</strong> nailed his final run to lead home team-mate <strong>Ryoma Kimata</strong> for a historic Japanese 1-2 in a thrilling men’s Big Air final at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kimura scored 90.50pts for his switch backside 1980, which elevated him into top spot with Beijing 2022 champion <strong>Su Yiming </strong>(CHN) and Kimata still to go.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Su</strong> also delivered a switch backside 1980 on his final run, and although he touched a hand on his landing, it still earned him 80.25pts as the Chinese athlete moved into bronze medal position.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Kimata</strong> – who led after the second run - was the last man to drop in, but he washed out on the landing and took silver.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Kimura</strong> finished with 179.50pts, putting him eight points clear of Kimata (171.50pts), eleven points ahead of bronze medallist Su (168.50pts).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was an outcome packed with history as <strong>Kimura </strong>and <strong>Kimata</strong> claimed Japan’s first medals in men’s Olympic Big Air, while <strong>Su </strong>became the first man to secure two top-three finishes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">U.S. rider <strong>Oliver Martin</strong> – at 17 the youngest rider in the field – finished fourth with 163.00 points, just ahead of home Italian favourite <strong>Ian Matteoli</strong> (162.50).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kimura and Kimata’s Japanese teammate <strong>Hiroto Ogiwara</strong>, fresh off of a second-straight X-Games titles in Aspen two weeks ago, finished 12th after crashing out on all three jumps after finishing top of qualification.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Kimura</strong> came into the Milano Cortina 2026 Games on the back of two straight second-place finishes on the World Cup tour.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I've devoted a lot of time to snowboarding this year. My family, coach and everyone around me gave me tremendous support, so I'm truly delighted to have achieved this result and prove the doubters wrong."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <strong>Kira Kimura </strong>(JPN)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kimura led after the first run after his backside 1980 melon was awarded 89.00, putting him 0.75 ahead of Su (88.25) with Kimata on 86.25.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">However, he failed to land his second run to fall to fourth going into the final round where he held his nerve to seize the Olympic title with the highest-scoring jump of the competition.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"On the second run, the moment I popped didn't quite click, and I couldn't land it properly,. But I managed to fix that, and the third run was clean, so that was good."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <strong>Kira Kimura </strong>(JPN)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Kimata</strong> was in the top three throughout the competition and led after the second run before Kimura’s high-scoring intervention forced his arm on the final jump.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"At the end, I had no choice but to attempt a trick I had never done before, so I went for it. But it didn't work, I gave it 120%. I gave the result and my technique my absolute maximum. I'm delighted."</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <strong>Ryoma Kimata</strong> (JPN)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">While he added Olympic silver to his title from the 2025 World Championships in Engadin, Switzerland, there were some mixed emotions.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Honestly, it's frustrating to have a Japanese rider above me, but I couldn't have done any better, and Kira was incredibly skilful."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After winning the title on home soil at Beijing 2022 and making history as the first Chinese snowboarder to win Olympic gold, <strong>Su</strong> endured an injury-affected 2024/2025.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">His World Cup win at Secret Garden was his first in two years and he followed that up with victory in Beijing in December, leading to the first World Cup Crystal Globe win of his career.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He kept his composure to claim his third Olympic medal and second in Big Air.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm really happy and proud of myself to earn this medal at my second Olympic Games, I had so much pressure going in as a defending champion.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">– <strong>Su Yiming</strong> (CHN)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I'm just really proud of myself to deal with such a big pressure and still be able to land my tricks. Finally, I have every single colour of medal.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I'm truly delighted to wear the national colours, standing here to secure our nation's first medal."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He added: "In the last four years I've been working really hard. It's not only about the result, it's like for myself, for my life. And then I've been trying so hard, I've been working so hard to get what I want.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I believe that regardless of one's perceived age, or being called a youngster, one is also rather susceptible to pressure. So after this period, I've come to realise I must find joy for myself, I must celebrate this year, I must pursue my own dreams."</div>